In this quick hits interview, new professor of theology Mickey Mattox talks lions, Halloween, and boeuf bourguignon. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What’s the greatest joy of your life?
My family. At least, of this worldly life.
If you could domesticate any animal for a pet, what would it be and why?
You gotta say lion, right? It’s totally a biblical animal. And plus if you’ve got a pet lion, no one’s going to mess with you. Imagine: “No, I don’t have a guard dog — my best friend is a lion.”
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a hippie, a little bit. I wanted sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll. I wanted to get back to nature and live off the land — wear buckskin with fringe and have huge hair so all the chicks dug me. I was a pretty stupid kid.
If you had to pick only one carb to eat for the rest of your life, would it be rice, pasta, or bread?
I’m going to say pasta. The Italians can turn it into anything.
What’s a superpower you think could help you as a theology professor?
I would say total recall or a photographic memory. Although I hear that people who have something like that kind of wish they didn’t because they can’t get anything out of their head.
What’s your favorite charity and why?
Any pro-life organization, especially centers that donate direct care to women who face unplanned pregnancies. When I was much younger, I helped found a pregnancy center and it’s still there to this day. I figure if I’ve done anything that the Lord would give me a half-merit for, it’s that.
What’s a piece of advice that changed your life?
I worked for an Italian once in banking, and I was asking him some question about somebody’s financing. He said, “Mick, if it doesn’t make sense to you, it probably doesn’t make sense.” That was more than 30 years ago, but I think of it quite often.
Best vacation you’ve ever been on?
A trip by motorcycle to Nova Scotia. It’s an island with a road that goes around the whole thing so you can ride the whole coast forever in a circle. It’s amazing.
As a theology professor, what are your thoughts on Halloween?
It’s great if you’re into that sort of thing. But it seems like the top side of religion has kind of declined, and the bottom has manifested itself — there’s no God, but there is a devil. Evil is sometimes the presenting side of the God question. I wouldn’t be critical of people who put things in their yard, but celebrating it does seem weird.
What’s your favorite thing about Hillsdale so far?
You can be yourself. I’m not pretending to be something or hiding who I am.
What’s an item on your bucket list?
Oh, things to do before you die…I’d really like to see the Scottish Highlands and the presumed, one-time homeland of my ancestors in Wales.
What would you choose as your last meal?
Boeuf bourguignon with roasted potatoes, green beans, and a glass of Romanée-Conti. I’m going out with the best. The French are totally going to cook for me.
What was the hardest part of getting your doctorate?
Believing that I could do it. If I were to have a self-criticism to my younger self, it would be: expect more from yourself, have more confidence in yourself. I never thought I’d get an academic post.
What made you want to teach?
I think I was born to teach. My grandmother was one of my first teachers, my parents were both public school teachers. It’s in the blood. And if you teach like I do, you get to teach what you know and love, which is a pretty fortunate position to find yourself in.
Are there any theological concepts that baffle you?
Why did God become a man?
Do you believe in aliens?
Yes but no. I can’t think of any reason, in principle, why there shouldn’t be life on other planets. But, I also find it believable that the vastness of our universe is somehow for us. And if you believe in an infinite God, that belief is not extravagant.
How would you spend a million dollars?
I think when you’re an older person, what you want more than anything is to take whatever good you possess and somehow work that beyond yourself. So, I’d probably buy some Romanée-Conti, and then find some charities that extend human care to people in need. Probably a religious order or two.
Do you have a favorite kid?
Yes.